Givology Staff's Blog

10 Facts About Illiteracy in 2015

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By Julia Tofan
The United Nations marked the Literacy Decade between 2003 and 2012 in an effort to eradicate illiteracy and promote education, but almost 4 years later, illiteracy still affects millions. Givology partner, AIDIndia, is taking action with their recent project, [url=https://www.givology.org/~esuperkidz/]Eureka SuperKidz[/url]. Eureka SuperKidz is a grassroots program in rural India that tutors children in Tamil, their native language, and English.
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1. [url=http://internationalliteracyday.org/]775 million people[/url] around the world are illiterate.
2. People who are illiterate earn [url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vanessa-thevathasan/international-literacy-da_b_5781990.html]30% to 40% less[/url] than people who are literate.
3. Illiterate employees are at greater risk of [url=http://worldliteracyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/The-Economic-Social-Cost-of-Illiteracy.pdf]work-related accidents[/url] because they can't understand written safety regulations, warnings, and machinery instructions.
4. 64% of people who are illiterate are [url=http://internationalliteracyday.org/]women[/url].
5. Women who are literate are [url=http://worldliteracyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/The-Economic-Social-Cost-of-Illiteracy.pdf]three times[/url] more likely to recognize that people who seem to be healthy may still be infected with HIV.
6. Literate mothers are [url=http://unesco.nl/sites/default/files/dossier/gmr_2013-4.pdf?download=1]23% more likely[/url] to seek aid from a skilled child birth attendant.
7. Individuals who are literate are [url=http://www.unesco.org/education/GMR2006/full/chapt5_eng.pdf]more likely[/url] to vote, participate in local and national government, and be knowledgeable about civic engagement.
8. The cost of illiteracy to the global economy is approximately USD [url=http://internationalliteracyday.org/]$1.19 trillion [/url].
9. If all students in developing countries were literate, [url=http://unesco.nl/sites/default/files/dossier/gmr_2013-4.pdf?download=1]171 million people[/url] could be lifted from poverty.
10. Literacy increases feelings of [url=http://www.unesco.org/education/GMR2006/full/chapt5_eng.pdf]self-esteem[/url] and empowerment.
Literacy is much more than the ability to read and write. It enables people to escape poverty, participate in their communities, get an education, and improve their health. Most importantly, it gives people a voice.
Want to join in the literacy movement? Help fund the [url=https://www.givology.org/~esuperkidz/]Eureka SuperKidz[/url] Project initiated by AIDIndia. Students in India often fall behind when they are illiterate because teachers are required to complete the lessons outlined in the syllabus. They cannot slow down to make sure students have the basic skills they need before covering more material. This often leads to high drop-out rates, lack of support from home when children do poorly, and low self-esteem. Eureka SuperKidz is working to solve these issues with after-school tutoring programs, ensuring that students attain the basic skills they need to succeed and continue their education. Eureka SuperKidz succeeds by engaging communities in events that emphasize the importance of literacy and showcase student work, tracking student progress with skill charts, and ensuring that lessons are high quality and interactive. The initiative has now expanded to more than 20 villages, but needs your support to continue growing! [url=https://www.givology.org/~esuperkidz/]Click here[/url] to help fund Eureka SuperKidz and [url=http://internationalliteracyday.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/International-Literacy-Day-Ariel-Ideas.pdf]click here[/url] for more creative ways to get involved with international literacy!